Doan Brook Watershed Partnership

1) FACILITATE AND SUPPORT CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION PROJECTS WITHIN THE WATERSHED -- WITH AN EYE TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, 2) DYNAMICALLY INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND AWARENESS OF THE WATERSHED, AND SERVE AS A COLLECTIVE VOICE FOR THE DOAN BROOK AND ITS CONSTITUENCIES.3) DEVELOP A SOLID ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN ORDER TO WORK TOWARD ALL GOALS. IN NON-PANDEMIC YEARS, THE DBWP VOLUNTEERS SERVE MANY FUNCTIONS. THEY HELP TO PLAN AND CARRY OUT PROGRAM EVENTS, SUPPORT IN-OFFICE FUNCTION, RESTORE HABITATS, LEAD HIKES, COLLECT TRASH AND STENCIL STORMDRAINS FOR WATER QUALITY AWARENESS.

ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT: DBWP CONTINUED TO ADAPT ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WHILE THE ORGANIZATION MANAGED TRANSITION. BOARD MEETINGS AND PROJECT PLANNING MEETINGS WERE HELD IN PERSON AND VIA ZOOM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WHICH WERE HELD IN PERSON. STAFF INCLUDED VICTORIA MILLS, BEAUX BERKELEY, AND ELIZABETH SMITH AND LATE IN NOVEMBER, NEW PERMANENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DR. MAUREEN DRINKARD WAS HIRED. WE SERVE AS FISCAL SPONSORS FOR BLUESTONE HEIGHTS, THE FRIENDS OF DOAN BROOK GORGE AND THE FRIENDS OF LOWER LAKE. CURRENTLY WE HAVE 16 TRUSTEES SERVING THE ORGANIZATION, WITH TWO OPEN POSITIONS REPRESENTING THE CITY OF CLEVELAND AND THE CITY OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS RECENTLY BEING ASSIGNED BY RESPECTIVE MAYORS. IN ADDITION, TWO AFFILIATE TRUSTEES WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN DBWP BOARD MEETINGS. THESE TWO POSITIONS ARE NON-VOTING AND REPRESENT A CITIZEN FROM THE CITY OF SOUTH EUCLID AND THE NORTHEAST OHIO REGIONAL SEWER DISTRICT.

PLANNING: DBWP HOSTED A COMMITTEE OF CITY, SEWER DISTRICT, VOLUNTEER AND NON-PROFIT REPRESENTATIVES TO COLLECTIVELY WORK ON SHAKER LAKES PARKLANDS MANAGEMENT. DBWP CONTINUES TO SERVE THE CENTRAL LAKE ERIE BASIN COLLABORATIVE (CLEB) STEERING COMMITTEE. DBWP IS ONE OF FIVE ORGANIZATIONS TO SERVE THE COLLABORATIVE IN THIS CAPACITY. THE CLEB MET MORE FREQUENTLY TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER DURING COVID. DBWP SPENT MANY PLANNING AND EDUCATION HOURS ON A DAM REMOVAL CONTROVERSY IN OUR WATERSHED, WHICH WAS INITIATED BY NEORSD AND THE CITIES OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS AND SHAKER HEIGHTS. RESTORATION: DBWP COMPLETED A PROJECT THAT WAS FUNDED BY TWO GRANTS, ONE FROM OHIO EPA FOR 300K AND THE OTHER FROM NEORSD FOR 510K. WE HIRED CONSULTANTS TO RESTORE 600 LINEAR FEET ALONG DOAN BROOK IN ROCKEFELLER PARK AND RECONNECTED A FLOODPLAIN WITHIN THE PARK. DBWP RECEIVED A NEORSD WATERSHED SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR 40,000, A SHAKER LAKES GARDEN CLUB GRANT FOR 5,000, A CAC OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT FOR 74,476 OVER TWO YEARS, AND A PORTION OF THE BLUESTONE WATERSHED SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR 5400.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND STEWARDSHIP: THOUGH THE PANDEMIC PERSISTED THROUGHOUT 2023, WE EXPANDED OUR OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING TO COMPLEMENT VIRTUAL POWER POINT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. DBWP OFFERED STREAM CLEAN UPS, 20 STEWARDSHIP WORK DAYS (REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES AND PLANTING NATIVE SPECIES), RAINBARREL WORKSHOPS, HIKES IN EVERY SEASON, A BIKE TOUR, STREAM MONITORING AND FISHING WORKSHOPS. ALL OF THE OUTDOOR WORKDAYS INCREASED OUR VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION (347 INDIVIDUALS), WHO WORKED A TOTAL OF 1,125.5 HOURS AMOUNTING TO 32,121.77 OF IN-KIND SUPPORT (28.54 VOLUNTEER HOURLY RATE VALUE). PROJECT PARTNERS CONTRIBUTED AN ADDITIONAL 27,677.66 OF IN-KIND SUPPORT TO DBWP IN 2023.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: DBWP COMPLETED A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING GRANT WITH STONEBROOKMONTESSORI. THE NORTHEAST OHIO REGIONAL SEWER DISTRICT (NEORSD) AWARDED THE GRANT, WHICH FACILITATED A CAMPUS-WIDE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN INCLUDING PERMEABLE PAVERS AND A RAIN GARDEN.